Retort for treating oil shale



2 Sheets-Sheet 1l Filed Dec.' 19. 1924 Patented Aug. 9, 1927. A

UNlTEil-)STATES PATEN EDWARD B. ROTH, or sr. LouIsfMrssoUnr.

Barona: non pasarme oKIL SHALE.

i Application filed December 19,-1924. v Serial No. 756,892.

This invention relates to retorts for treatL ingA oil shale, Y v

In the treatment of oil shale in order to vaporizen-and remove the oiltherefrom various problems and requirements are encountered and, inorder to obtain'the best results, it is essential or desirable that thefeed of the shale to and through the retort` should be continuous; thatthe-oil vapors Should be produced at the lowest possible temperature andremoved at once; that the heat should be applied uniformly; that theshale should. be

prevented from becoming gummed or cofagulated in cal{es,and should be.reduced. to a proper degree of linenesspreferably so that it will passthrough a quarter ln'ch mesh screen; that it should be dried and pre- Yheated to a degree of temperature. approximating the degreeoftemperature at which the first oil vapors are about to separate' fromthe shale and rise'; that the shale should be continuously agitated andpropelled through different zones of. progressively increasing heat;that the vapors be` withdrawn quickly from the retort and from thedifferent zones thereof. l Experience .has demonstrated thatthe longerthe shale is exposed to heat and the slower the heat isapplied in therespective zones proportionately better results areobtained, and thatthe vapors from some of the shale components separate and rise under theiniiuence of lower heat than from others and, further, that theapparatus should be equipped with means for varying the speed ofmovement of the shale therefrom. An object' of thev presentinvention isto provide an improved apparatus embodying structure for the performanceof all of the above-mentioned operations, in a 'highly etcient andsatisfactory manner s0 that the apparatus can be used commercially andprofitably.

' Specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an improvedretort for the treatment of oil shale divided into compartmentssubjected lto a higher degree of heat progressively from thecompartmentwhich the shale rst enters to the compartment from which theshale is discharged, and having compartment to another and finally fromthe retort, lin combination'with means for rapidly removing theoilvapors from the re- `tort. The invention is equally useful in thetreatment of lignite and other materials containing matter'that willvaporize.

Other objects will appear from the following description, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig--1 is a plan viewof one embodime the invention..

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

vFigz is a vertical sectionalyiew. f'

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional viewsv on the lines 1-4, 5--5and 66 respectively of Fig. 3.

The invention as shown comprises an outer cylindrical wall 1, an innerwall 2 concentric with the outer w`all and spaced therefrom, an upperend wall or cover 3 for the innerv cylinder 2 andan upper end wall orcover 4 for the oute` cylinder l. A lower end wall 5 closes the lowerend of the innerl cylinder "2 and with said cylinder 2 and a Wall 6forms a combustion chamber containing a 'burner 7 to which fuel issupplied through a pipe 8. The upper end walls of the covers 3 and 4 areremovable. Y

A spacing ring 9 forms a partition closing communication between thespace between the inner and outer walls below said ring" its lower endjournaled in a bearing 14 and its upper end connected by a clutch 15with a drive shaft 16. A number of openings 17 through the innercylinder 2 permit the vapors to pass from the several compart. ments tothe space between vthe inner cylinder 2 and the outer cylinder 1 abovethe partition ring 9 from which space the vapors pass through outlets 18to a condenser. The

openings 17 are near the upper ends of the' respective compartments sothat while the rising vapors will pass through saidvopenings the lshalewill not.

A number of arms 19 extend from the shaft 13 in each of the compartmentsand ro tate with said shaft. The arms 19 in the up- 'slots or openings23 through which the shale drops to the nextycompartment. Thearins 19 inthe compartment receiving the shale from the slots or openings 23 haveflights 24 which propel the shale inwardly uponl the partition 12 toslots or openings 25through which the shale drops into the next andiinai compartment; From the lower .compartinent the shale is propelledoutwardly by flights 26 and is discharged through openings 27 in theinner cylinder wall 2, being received in a water-seal 28 which pre'ventsthe vapors from escaping and at the same time permits removal of thewaste products of the shale.`

rI`he shale is delivered into the upper compartment by a spiralconveyor29 operating within a tubular passage 30. As the shalecompletely fills the spiral space of the conveyor it forms a seal toprevent the vapors from escaping thereby.

The partitions 10, 11 and 12 are remoyably supported upon brackets 31and have notches 32 formed in their edges tov permit insertion andwithdrawal of the partitions.

The shale is conveyed to this apparatus by the conveyor 30 in. a dry,preheated state and,'due to the formation of the various series offlights, is propelled atV the proper rate of speed through the differentheated zones or compartments, the heat of which progressively increasesfrom the upper compartment to the lower one. In moving from its point ofdelivery intor the 'device tothe point of discharge therefrom the shale-is propelled overa comparatively long distance and is subjected'to heatso that Vthe vapors which separate and rise at a compare atively lowdegree of heat are. caused to do so and pass from the upper compartment4through. the openings l17 Each compartment is subjected to a higherdegree of heatA l than the one from which it receives the shale, and thelast compartment is subjected to such a degree of heat that practicallyall of the oil is vaporized. and discharged through the openings 17.During the operationof the device the feed of .the shale thereto iscontinuous. through the device continuously andfis consults.

The shale is kept moving :ncaa-arr tinuously agitated so that eachparticle of the shale is subjected to the same heat as every otherparticle and is given the required time of exposure to obtain best re-The present invention, containing a plu rality of compartments subjectedrespectively `4to progressively increasing heat through which the lshaleis passed, possesses many advantages over that type of retorts includinga single compartment. In the single compartment type of retorts thevapors that arise at the lower heat are subjected to the maximum heatrequired to vaporize the ingredients requiring highest degree of heat,thereby destroying the vapors that arise at low' heat.

The invention Amay be used for various purposes such, for instance, as aroaster, or forv drying substances such as clay and other substances. Iclaim the invention irrespective of the uses to which it is applied.

The invention possesses numerous other advantages and obtains all of itsintended objects and purposes in an eflicient, economical and profitablemanner. The device may `be varied as to size and number of compartments,and in various other particulars without departure frointhe nature andprinciple ofl the invention. I do not restrictmyself unessentially, iiithis or other respects, but what I claim and desire to secure byLetters' Patent is 1. ldevice ofthe character described comprising anouter casing wall, an inner easing wall within and spaced from the outerwall and having openings to the space between said walls, a number ofhoriZontal partitions within said -inner wall' pro.-

vided with openings therethrough respectively and forming compartmentseach communicating through said first named openings with the spacebetween said walls, a pair of spaced J top Walls connected with saidouter and inner walls respectively, and having the space betweenthemcommunicating with the space between said outer and innei1 walls, arotary vertical shaft extending axially through said top Walls and' saidpartitions, an agitator device attached to said shaft above each of saidpartitions, a device for feeding material through said top walls abovelthe upper partition into said inner casing Wall, and heating meansenclosed within said inner casing wall below the low- 12o l estcompartment. Y

2. device of the character described comprising an outer casing wall,van inner casing wall within and spaced` from .the outer wall and havingopenings to the space between said wa1ls,a number of horizontalpartitions within said inner Wall provided withopenings therethrough`respectively and forming compartments each communi`A yeating throughsaid first named openings 139 lower ends .of said inner and outer wallsforthe space betweenv said walls, and heating means enclosed within saidinner casing wall below the lowest compartment.

- 3. A device of the character described comprisingan outer casing wall,an inner casing wall within and spaced lfrom the outer wall and havingopenings to the space between said walls, a numberof horizontalpartitions within said inner wall provided with openings therethroughrespectively and forming compartments each communicating through saidfirst named openings with the space between said walls, a pair of spacedtop walls connected with said outer and inner walls respectively, andhaving the space between them communicating with thespace between saidouter and inner walls,'a rotary vertical shaft extending axially throughsaid top walls and said partitions, an agitator device attached to saidshaft above each of saidy partitions, a device for feeding materialthrough said top walls above the upper par-- tition into said innercasing wall, a water sealing device at'the lower ends of said inner andouter walls for the space between said h walls, a heating deviceenclosed within said inner wall below the lowest compartment and apartition closing said space between said inner and outer walls abovethe plane ot'the lowest one of said first named partitions. l

4. A device of the character decribed coinprising an outer casing wall,an inner casing wall spaced from the `outer wall and having vaporpassages into the space between said walls and material dishargeopenings into said space belowsaid vapor passages, a partition closingsaid space below the plane of all of said passages and above saidopenings, a bottom wall in said inner casing below said materialdischarge openings, a number or". horizontal partitions insaid innercasing wallabove said bottom wall forming compartm'ents eachcommunicating with the space between said inner and` outer wallsthrough'certain of said passages, a vertical rotary shaft extendingaxially through said partitions, agitators-attached to said shaft abovethe respective partitions, and a heater enclosed within said inner wallbelow said bottom wall.

5, A device of the character described comprising an outer, casing wall,an inner casing wall spaced froml the outer wall and having vaporpassages into the space between said walls and material dischargeopenings into said space belowsaid vapor passages, a par tition closingsaid space below the plane orq lall of said passages and above saidopenings, a bottom wall in said inner casing below said materialdischarge openings, a number ot' horizontal partitions said inner casingwall above said bottom walll forming com partments each communicatingwith the space between said inner and outer walls through certain ofsaid passages, a vertical rotary shaft extending axially through saidpartitions, agitatorslattached to said shaft above the respectivepartitions, a heating device enclosed within said inner wall below saidbottom wall and a water sealing device sealing the lower end of thespace between said outer and inner casing walls and arranged to receivethe material discharged from said material dischargeo-penmgs.

EDWARD B. ROTH.

